Computers have become an integral tool used in a wide variety of different applications, such as in finance and commercial transactions, computer-aided design and manufacturing, health-care, telecommunication, education, etc. Computers are finding new applications as a result of advances in hardware technology and rapid development in software technology. Furthermore, a computer system's functionality is dramatically enhanced by coupling stand-alone computers together to form a computer network. In a computer network, users may readily exchange files, share information stored on a common database, pool resources, and communicate via e-mail and via video teleconferencing.
Computer networks can be arranged in numerous configurations comprising a variety of network types. Some of the most popular types of networks comprise Ethernet (coaxial cable or twisted- pair cable), token ring, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), Frame Relay, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), X.25, Synchronous Data Link Control (SDLC). Typically, these networks are arranged in local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). Usually, LANs are distinguished from WANs based upon the geographical area they cover and sometimes the number of users connected to the network. For example, a group of personal computers (PCs) in a home or single business site (location) usually communicate with each other over a LAN. Groups of PCs disposed remote from one another, such as those in different homes, different companies, or different branch offices of the same company, typically communicate with each other over a WAN.
In many networking environments, the 802.1D 1998 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE) standard is employed. Incorporated into the IEEE 802.1D 1998 edition is the 802.1p protocol. 802.1p augments the Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and provides a mechanism for clients to register with their connecting switches to receive multicast packets. Such registration is, in turn, propagated to other nodes in the same broadcast domain. Because registration and forwarding of multicast packets is port-centric, a problem arises when a port is connected to legacy client (i.e. clients which have not been upgraded to utilize 802.1p ) or to a combination of legacy and 802.1p compliant clients. Because the legacy clients are not versed in 802.1p, forwarding of multicast packets based solely upon port registration (e.g. Group Multicast Registration Protocol) could exclude the legacy clients from receiving desired multicast packets.
Thus, under conventional schemes, a network administrator must diligently review each port of a switch and each client or clients coupled thereto. Such inspection requires a network administrator with substantial network expertise and a thorough knowledge of 802.1D and 802.1p protocols. After inspection, the network administrator must manually set port settings for each port of the switch based upon the 802.1p compliance (or lack thereof) of the clients coupled to the respective ports. This inspection process must be constantly repeated with corresponding port settings revised accordingly in order to remain current with newly added or recently removed clients. In addition to being time-consuming, such a process is expensive, and is extremely error prone. As a result, legacy clients may be prevented from receiving desired multicast packets in conventional network implementations.
Thus, a need exists for a method and system which allows a legacy client to operate effectively in an 802.1p environment. Still another need exists for a method and system which allows the legacy client to operate effectively in an 802.1p environment even when the legacy client shares a common port of a switch with an 802.1p compliant client. Still another need exists for a system and method which meets the above-listed needs but which does not require constant network administrator intervention or network administrator sophistication.